New National Crime Agency To Fight Gangs

Britain's Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca) is to be replaced with an American-style National Crime Agency.

The NCA, due to come into force from 2013, will be able to directly task and co-ordinate police forces as they tackle organised crime and secure UK borders.

Home Secretary Theresa May said too many of the 6,000 organised crime gangs in the UK were escaping justice and a tough new approach was needed.

The launch of the NCA is part of the most radical shake-up of policing in 50 years which will see directly-elected police and crime commissioners replace the existing police authorities from next May.

The agency will step in to co-ordinate police work, identify national priorities and ensure those commissioners are "aware of the needs of the nation", she said.

"For the first time, there will be one agency with the power, remit and responsibility for ensuring that the right action is taken at the right time by the right people," Mrs May told MPs.

"NCA officers will be able to draw on a wide range of powers, including those of a police constable, immigration or customs powers.

"This will mean that NCA officers - unlike anybody else - will be able to deploy powers and techniques that go beyond the powers of a police officer."

Earlier, Mrs May told Sky News: "Soca is not going to be disbanded.

"It will continue but as part of the new NCA, bringing together law enforcement across a number of types of crime at a national level that will enable us to really focus on organised crime.

"The drugs on the streets, these are being brought in by organised crime groups and these are the issues affecting neighbourhoods across the country."

As well as replacing Soca, the NCA also include a border policing command and take in the work of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (Ceop).

Its budget will not exceed that of the agencies it replaces.

About £3m of Government funding has been committed "for the national co-ordination of organised crime policing" in 2011/12, including an intelligence centre.

Then Ceop chief executive Jim Gamble resigned last year when it was announced the organisation would become part of the new agency.

At the time Mr Gamble said the decision was not in the best interests of children and young people.

Critics say the NCA will be too large to be effective but the Home Office insists it will "strengthen the fight against the serious and organised criminality that threatens the safety and security of the UK".